Heart Month may be coming to an end, but the battle to raise awareness about sudden cardiac arrest and death in children is a year-round effort. The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that two thousand U.S. children die every year from sudden cardiac arrest. A study from the Mayo Clinic shows that it is responsible for up to 15% of all sudden infant deaths (SIDS). Furthermore, the AHA recently published a study showing that sudden cardiac arrest isn’t so sudden – there are warning signs.
Armed with this information, Simon’s Fund, a Plymouth Meeting based nonprofit organization founded in memory of Simon Sudman, a seemingly healthy baby boy who died from sudden cardiac arrest, teamed up with the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, to produce a full color poster for every pediatric office in the Commonwealth. The poster campaign educates parents about the warning signs of conditions that lead to sudden cardiac arrest, like fainting during exercise, which is the #1 warning sign. The posters were created and paid for by Simon’s Fund.
“We are very excited to be working with Simon’s Fund on this campaign. It is our hope that these posters will supplement the efforts of our pediatricians to educate patients and families about sudden cardiac arrest,” says Allen Nussbaum, MD, FAAP, President of the PA Chapter of the AAP.
“This project fits perfectly within our mission,” says Darren Sudman, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Simon’s Fund. We need to make sudden cardiac arrest a household term so that students, parents and coaches appreciate the threat of sudden cardiac arrest and recognize the symptoms. This bright and engaging poster will deliver that information in a very positive and upbeat tone.”
